Usman Mohammed, Managing Director, The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has urged the nation’s international electricity customers,Togo ,Niger Republic to pay up their debt.
Nigeria is the major electricity distributor of Togo, Niger and Republic of Benin. These African countries have become debtors to the nation with a debt of over $9 million.
Usman Mohammed who also doubles as Chairman, West African Power Pool (WAAP) disclosed the international electricity customers will be disconnected if debt remains unpaid.
“It is not because I am the chairman of the West African Power Pool (WAAP) that I will be allowing international customers to cheat Nigeria,” Mohammed said.
“When I took over as MD TCN, both Benin and Togo were owing Nigeria more than $100 million. The debt now remains $7 million.
“Niger is owing less than $2 million. In short, we are not leaving them. We disconnect them as we disconnect customers here in Nigeria. Electricity is not charity. We cannot just allow people to consume electricity and leave us like that.
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“As at now, we have restricted their supply to only their contracted ones. We are insisting they pay all their outstanding bills before we reconnect them and we increase the off-take.”
“During the quarter under review, the special and international customers made no payment to NBET and MO. The invoices issued to Ajaokuta Steel Co. Ltd (designated as special customer) and international customers (i.e., Societe Nigerienne d’electricite – NIGELEC and Communaute Electrique du Benin–CEB) stood at ₦0.32billion and ₦10.85billion respectively,”